While lawyers and judges are the ultimate legal experts, of course, I believe that every citizen should take the time to learn a little about law for several reasons. First, it is important to know your rights, and knowing them can come in handy if anyone ever accuses you of a crime you didn't commit or threatens you legally in another other way. Second, learning about your local, state, and federal laws can help you act as a better citizen. When election time comes around, you can then truly understand ever change in law being proposed by a candidate and whether it benefits society or not. I plan to share posts about law topics explained in plain English on my new blog, so you can come back often to sharpen your legal knowledge!
-
Personal Injury Law: Navigating the Path to Compensation 7 February 2024
Everyone Should Learn a Little about Law
Turning Back Time: Getting A Marriage Annulled
Kaylee Wells
For some newly married people, it may not take long to realize that you have made a grave mistake in marrying. You may be wondering if you can just get your marriage annulled instead of going through a costly and lengthy divorce process; after all, celebrities seem to do it all the time. Before you proceed along those lines, take some time to read the information about annulments below.
What are annulments?
While it's no longer a valid (legal) reason for getting an annulment, religion played a large part in how this concept of legally parting came about. Some religions forbid divorce, and those who did divorce their spouses could face a denial of attending church and religious practices. An annulment then was born, a manner of pretending that the marriage was never a valid marriage and therefore no divorce was needed. To this day, the Catholic church still does not allow those who've been divorced to participate in the full range of religious practices. It's a different story for those with annulments, however.
The reason for the annulment is key.
As mentioned above, an annulment is meant to proclaim that a legal marriage never existed in the first place, and should not be considered an alternative to a divorce. As far as religious issues go, the issue of annulment has absolutely nothing to do with religion and is not considered a valid reason for an annulment.
To go even further, there is no such thing as a no-fault annulment. No-fault divorces allow spouses to part ways by simply declaring "irreconcilable differences," but not so with an annulment. You must have an approved reason to seek an annulment, such as:
- Against the law: Every state has rules about marriage, and if your marriage violates one of those rules, it can be annulled. For example, if one party in the marriage was not of a legal age to marry, that marriage would not be considered legal and could be annulled. Also in this category are people who are already married (bigamy) and those involved in incestuous relationships.
- Force: For a marriage to be valid, both parties must have entered the relationship of their own free will. A common example of this is a parent forcing a child to marry against their will due to a pregnancy or other reasons.
- Mental incapacity: If one or more parties are not of a sound mind at the time of marriage, it may not be valid. For example, if one party was mentally ill and did not fully understand what was going on, you have grounds for an annulment.
- Fraud: Being tricked into marriage.
- Not consummated due to impotence: For a marriage to be valid, sexual relations must have taken place.
- Under the influence: Temporary incapacity caused by alcohol or drugs may be grounds for an annulment (this one is very commonly used).
If you need more information about annulments, speak with a family attorney from a firm such as Law Office of Dalia Rasha Kejbou, P.C.
Share